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After testing many different recipes for homemade laundry soap I can confidently say this one is the best. Join thousands of others who are saving money with this awesome liquid laundry detergent recipe.

DIY Laundry Soap Recipe

If you are sick of spending tons of money on laundry detergents that do a sub-optimal job, we have the solution for you.

Not only is this recipe easy to make and cost effective, but it works better than any store bought brand we’ve tried.

We have used this recipe for ten years, and hundreds of others have as well. Read on for detailed instructions as well as a video tutorial that shows you just how simple this detergent is to make.

Why I Choose Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent

I had almost given up on homemade laundry detergent completely, when my good friend Keesha texted me and said she had a recipe and wanted to make it together! I had my doubts, but she told me her mom and her sister had both been using this kind forever and swore by it, so I decided I would give it a go. Holy cow. I am in love with this homemade liquid laundry detergent, it is AMAZING!

Every time I open up the washer to switch loads, I am filled with joy because it smells fresh and clean. It also doesn't leave gross residue, and gets out tough dirt and stains. Suffice it to say, this recipe is gonna shrink your laundry expenses considerably!

*This post contains affiliate links.

Homemade Laundry Detergent Ingredients

Fels-Naptha soap bar
Washing soda
Borax
Essential oils (optional)
Water

Boiling water to make liquid laundry detergent!

How to Make Homemade Laundry Detergent

1.Start by grating your Fels-Naptha soap bar. Here is what the Fels-naptha soap looked like after grating it. You want to use the smallest grater that you have, so that it melts as quickly and easily as possible!

2. While you are grating your soap start four cups of water boiling.

3.Add your grated Fels-Naptha bar and stir over medium heat until soap is completely melted.

4. Next, fill your five gallon bucket up halfway with hot tap water.

adding dry laundry detergent ingredients to five gallon bucket

5. Then add your other dry ingredients and stir together.

adding water to a 5 gallon bucket of liquid laundry soap

6. Finally, fill your bucket the rest of the way with hot water and stir again.

5 gallon bucket that said "liquid laundry detergent" in blue vinyl

Homemade Detergent Recipe Label & Storage

Be sure to clearly label your containers so that everyone knows they contain a detergent. Also, if you have young children be sure to keep your laundry detergent in a childproof container or on a high shelf. Here is the gallon jar I used, and here is a good five gallon bucket! I also love this gamma seal lid!

How much DIY Laundry Detergent does this recipe make?

This recipe makes a 5 gallon tub of liquid detergent. You only need ½ cup detergent for top loader machines and ¼ for front loader machines per load! It's easy to see how utilizing homemade laundry detergent can add up to a big savings!

It costs less than $10 to make 5 gallons of this laundry soap (not including the cost of the bucket). Which equals out to 160 ½ cup loads or 320 ¼ cup loads. Either way, there is a massive savings when comparing to store bought laundry detergents, even when they are purchased in bulk quantities.

close up of laundry detergent on top of a hamper of dirty clothes

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Easy DIY liquid laundry detergent! I love this stuff, and it will save you so much laundry on detergent!

Liquid Laundry Detergent Recipe

How to make Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent. This is so easy, the batch lasts a long time and is cheaper than any store-bought detergent!

4.81 from 36 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 20

Active Time: 5

Resting Time: 1

Total Time: 1 25

Makes: gallons

Author: Pretty Providence

Cost: $10

Video

Equipment

5 gallon bucket

Materials

4 cups boiling water
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 cup washing soda
½ cup Borax
essential oils (optional)
5 gallon bucket

Instructions

Heat 4 cups of water until boiling.
Grate your Fels-Naptha soap bar (I just used a cheese grater) and add to boiling water. Stir continuously over medium low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.
Fill your 5 gallon bucket half full with HOT tap water, add melted soap, washing soda, and borax and stir well until all powder is dissolved.
Fill the bucket the rest of the way to the top with hot water, stir, cover, and let sit overnight to thicken.
The next day, stir well and fill an old laundry detergent container with detergent.If desired, add your essential oils at this point! I use Doterra citrus bliss.

Notes

Shake well before each use, because detergent can separate a bit.
Top load machines use ½ cup per load, front load machines use ¼ cup per load.
Here is the gallon jar I used, and here is a good five gallon bucket!

Did you make this?Mention @prettyprovidenceblog or tag #prettyprovidence!

It's SO easy and SO worth it you guys! I can guarantee you're gonna be glad you tried this DIY liquid laundry detergent!

xo,

*This post was originally written September 1, 2014 and has been updated with new photos, video and more detailed text.